January 1 - January 31

January 30th, 2006

HARRY JARVIS' BLOG: WEEK 1

Hi, my name is Harry Jarvis, and if you don't know me, i have played SG for the last ten seasons in ALbacete. GSPN asked me to write a weekly blog talking about my team and the news and gossips around the league. Being one of the top veterans in the league, i couldn't refuse to show all those youngsters who think they own the WBA what is this league about.

I have seen this offseason with mixed feelings. I want to win the championship again before my retirement and it was clear that our team was not ready for it after season 11. The team chose to part ways with two of our most important players basically for picks, and i saw we were taking a step back, not what i needed at that point in my career. They kept saying that hte team shouldn't resign a player like Leo Rice for that amount of money and Whitehouse was 31 and we couldnt rely on him any more. I will really miss Gordon, we have lived a lot together in our years in Siberia and Albacete, but in the end i had to agree with the team. Besides, scouts were raving about unknown adquisition Raphael Park, so i decided to hold on all my criticism. We have some of the best scouts all around the league, and they took an option in free agent Matt Archer a younger and cheaper version of Leo Rice with whom i see we have improved while going younger. Besides the training campshowed us that scouts were not wrong about Raphael Park, this guy is for real, and he works very hard, in fact he told me that being waived by Alaska was a wakeup call and he had to show he had the talent to excel in the WBA. Im very proud of the effort that our big men Walter Walter and Juwan Bixby have put on this summer, and i only pray to extend my career some more seasons to live the blossoming of Walter. In the other hand, i dont like at all how our PGs have worked. I have to talk to Tyler Kane because we expect him to lead us on the court, and his latest outings are not what we need.

DAY 1: ALBACETE vs MEXICO CITY (W 103-85). The schedule has been nice with us to start the season against a bad team at home. We talked about a strong start to take command in the scoreboard early in the game. Bixby took the command of the operations with a monster game which included 20 points and 16 rebounds, but there was a team support. Archer, PArk and me scored 13, 16 and 18 points, while the unexpected scoring punch from the bench was provided by Walter Walter who made 7 of his 8 shots for 15 points. While Mexico interior duo combined for 48 points, thir frontcourt combined for just 14 boards while ours got 37, you can talk about a difference.

DAY 2: ALBACETE vs FRANKFURT (W 106-98). One other easy game, where the fans could boo Tony DiMateo back in Albacete. That guy never received any love here but i think it was his fault. JAcking 3 pointers doesnt involve you in a team. You can have very good nigths, but at the end you have to make more on the court. We invested a lot of money on him and he never paid off. Tony was booed from the start but that had a negative impact for us. He had a great night from long range with 9 three pointers made of his 13 attempts. But this is a team game, and we showed him what that means. Park and me combined for 49 points and Caldwell showed us his quality from the bench scoring 16 points with 7 assists. The hilarious note was the 4 blocked shots of Misha Krisnetsov some of them to Dimateo

DAY 3: ALBACETE vs CAPETOWN (W 91-89). First game against a good rival. And it was at home. And it was really hard. A game where we never trailed from the 2nd quarter, but we never were able to build a confortable lead. WE knew that we had to play a hard nosed defense to have a shot, and distribute our offesne against them. We tok advise from our coach and moved the ball very well. 5 of us scored in double figures, and we dominated the boards 50 to 38. That was the key of the game. I had a good shooting night converting over 50% of my shots for the first time this season

DAY 4: ALBACETE at MIAMI (L 97-116). First game away and first loss. I will take all the beating for this one. We played a very god first half. We were leading at the halftime by 4. After that, things started to work poorly. I was fouled out with 6 minutes remaining in the 3rd, and Caldwell took my place, but 5 minutes after that he felt injured, so, coach had to use some players out of their position to play SG, and Miami destroyed us in the 4th. I still feel that some of the fouls called were wrong, and Troychack loves flopping, but i should have been less active with my hands. I have to show the way to our young players and thats not the way.

DAY 5: ALBACETE vs LONG ISLAND (W 115-97). This was a great win for us. Long Island has a lot of quality in his team and they will find a way to win games. We know we cant stop every player LI have, so we decided to press their backcourt to difficult their ball distribution. We held their backcourt rotation to 10 of 30 shots, and here we started to win the game. Park (or Rafa as we call him) led ud with 24 points and 9 boards, and Juwan Bixby collected another double double, his 5th in five games. Tyler Kane is starting to play as we expect and dissed 12 assists and got 5 steals

DAY 6: ALBACETE at BUDAPEST (L 82-97). Playing this team is going to be hard for any team. They defend like ninjas. We really shot like crap, but all our shots were contested and with a hand in our faces. Its hard to extract any positive comments about this game, unless losing by 15 is not too much if you shot 34% and are outrebounded 55-31. My game was awful, with just 3 of 20 shots made

BTW, i love MAths. Im a fan of stats, and my blog will show some of my calculations. THis week you will see this week's valoration of our players attending to MMF, Aproximated value and VORP Index

	MMF
Juwan_Bixby	117.40
Raphael_Park	108.40
Tyler_Kane	80.30
Harry_Jarvis	79.40
Matt_Archer	69.05
Geoffrey_Caldwe	56.55
Walter_Walter	38.55
Nick_Adams	21.85
Misha_Kryznetso	21.50
Tyris_Mayes	12.55
Vincent_Robinso	12.05
Reuben_Sax	3.05
Kolby_O'Rourke	2.45
Scott_Jacoby	1.00

	VORP
Juwan_Bixby	28.645
Raphael_Park	28.135
Geoffrey_Caldwe	17.545
Harry_Jarvis	15.981
Tyler_Kane	11.971
Walter_Walter	10.970
Matt_Archer	9.332
Tyris_Mayes	4.924
Vincent_Robinso	4.361
Nick_Adams	3.242
Misha_Kryznetso	1.241
Kolby_O'Rourke	-0.105
Scott_Jacoby	-0.850
Reuben_Sax	-1.328

	AV
Juwan_Bixby	1.92771
Raphael_Park	1.70487
Tyler_Kane	1.34479
Matt_Archer	1.33305
Harry_Jarvis	1.18925
Geoffrey_Caldwe	1.02658
Walter_Walter	0.77156
Misha_Kryznetso	0.54829
Nick_Adams	0.51634
Tyris_Mayes	0.34465
Vincent_Robinso	0.32602
Kolby_O'Rourke	0.10855
Reuben_Sax	0.10855
Scott_Jacoby	0.00000

As you can see, They all say that Bixby is our top player, closely followed by Rafa. I dont show too much in these index, but my issue is winning

January 28th, 2006

Nebraska, where art thou?

By Clark Lane

The beginning of the season has been hard for Nebraska. They are 0-5 and still waiting for their first win. They share the bottom of the league with Mexico City when everybody was talking about them being at the top with Colorado. But what has happened?

The first thing is to look at their team position by position:

Point Guard:

Jervan Timmons / Daren Benson: Timmons is a pass first, pass after type of guy. He will nearly never try to score or go to the line. He knows how to play the cross lines and get several steals a contest, one of the best there, but don't ask him anything more. Benson can score at will, and be the general on the floor, but he does not rebound or defend.

I can point two problems for this position. First they lack control. And I don't mean ball control, but body control. They are not going to harass the opponent and they play soft, allowing the adversary to go to the line more often than them. On the other hand they don't know what a rebound is, not even if it came after them to bite them on the back. The good point is they are really young and they will improve.

Shooting Guard:

Brandon Morfeld / Johnny Blaylock: Morfeld is a really good defender for the position, and can score at will. He rebounds well, but can not give an assist to an open partner, not even if he is on a bad position. Usually I would say that Morfeld is a good enough player, but he is too much of a problem for Nebraska. Nebraska needs any assist he can get to improve the overall play and Morfeld is not helping there. What is surprising is to see the poor selection he is doing with his shoots. We could expect at least 45% of accuracy, but he is shooting a lousy 36.9 and that is really hurting. If he can improve his shooting everything will be fine. Blaylock is a whacky choice for a backup. He can rebound and pass, but he will let the opponent's offense run wild because he can not defend. Not even a little. I haven't seen such a bad defender for a long time.

Small Forward:

Tony Henderson, Ron Avery: Henderson is a player with a future. The problem for Nebraska is that he is playing 36 minutes a game, and he can not put the ball in, not if his life was at the stake. Overall he looks like a nice player, but if you can not put the ball in and you can not defend, the only thing he knows how to do is to go to the line, and Nebraska really needs that. But I don't think it is worth a starting spot. Okay, usually he will improve his shooting touch and he will be shooting around 38% but that is not enough. If he was a really good player and he could defend and the like I could understand, but he is not much more than an average player. On the other hand Avery is a below average player. No defense and no assists. What is he doing there? I imagine that a few rebounds and I few points that is what Nebraska is looking for, but it is really worth the bad defense? I don't think any of them can come even close to what Taylor could bring to the table.

Power Forward:

Roy Base: This is the real deal. It is for me the best player on this team. It is rock solid. The only comment is he can not pass the ball. And it is a shame because this team really needs that. Other than that this player can score, rebound, defend, go to the line, nearly everything. I am sure he is feeling alone at Nebraska. But as we can see he is not enough to bring the team to the next level. I know only of a player that has been able to do that and that is Lou when he was younger. He could single-handed change a team from mediocre to elite. Base is good, but he is no Lou.

Center:

Tom Perkins, Vance Clopp: Perkins is still a nice player. He can help handle the middle on any team, but he is not the dominant player once he was. It was a strange trade from Nebraska because of the 31 years of Perkins. Vance is a good Center, not dominating but good and solid as few. It looks like Nebraska does not trust him anymore… The question is why trade for Perkins and leave a huge hole at SF when he didn't really need a PF/C where he had 2 of his best 3 players?

If we mix all of the above and we look at it the result is.

Nebraska does not know how to defend. Add to this some bad rebounding, a lack of vision of most of the player to find the open man and you have a wounded team. Knowing Brandon he will not go down without a fight, but does this team has the talent to compete for their division? I am not really sure. I can not find all of the talent I would expect on a reputed team as Nebraska. I see he may be trying to rebuild but then trading for Perkins was strange. And if he is not rebuilding, too many young and will be good players…

Looking at the team last year I have found the difference. Maybe Taylor is part of the difference, but I lean another way. Dexter `Handyman' Kodak. If you look at his stats last year you see a player that did all the things that a team needs.

Kodak was a 13.8 ppg,, 4.8 rpg, 7.8 apg (huge!!!), 1 block and 2 steals!! Nebraska has nothing close to what he lost. I have always liked this guy. He is maybe the best utility SG our there. Don't expect him to lead your team, but to bring in all of those things you need to make everyone better. He is in the top 5 of SG on this league.

My final advise is coaching can improve the team, but I don't think they have what it takes to go back up there to the top of the league. Maybe a few trades are what he needs?

January 28th, 2006

A LOOK TO THE NEW DIVISIONS: MIDWEST DIVISION

The Midwest will face this season 2 very different competitions, two of them will fight for winning the division (colorado and Nebraska) and the rest will try to run away from the last spots for an umprobable playoff position (Salt Lake City, Omaha and Arkansas). When you look at these teams you can see the difference among last season and the whole last five. Looking just at the last season the five teams combined for a .450 winning record, while the 5 last seasons gave a result of .544. THey are very different records, and if i had to choose one, next season the winning record will be closer to .45 than 0.54. I can only see two teams improving in Colorado and Omaha. Nebraska and Arkansas will pray to stay the same and Salt Lake has not done his homework this offseason at all.

THE TEAMS

COLORADO: Colorado is one of the teams with a fortified winning tradition. In fact, we are talking about the team with the most wins in WBA history. THeir worst winning percentaje in the last 5 seasons is .625 and that tell it all by itself. Stability is one of the keys for this franchise, they dont like to make a lot of moves, and it pays, but this season there has been a little revolution. Colorado's leading scorer, shooting guard Samir Sheth was traded for scoring machine Jaxon McCall. Scouts all around the league were reporting that HArold Gill was undersized to play small forward, and rivals were taking advantadge. This movement allows Gill to move to the SG, and while McCall is 30, it looks like its a correct movement. With the payroll out of hand, they couldnt find the money to resign PAul Spagnoli, who was eventually traded for a draft pick. Colorado was a non factor in draft, and the only significant signing in free agency was shooting guard BRent Bangerter, but they did not need much more. A lineup od MArk Carr, Harold Gill, Jaxon McCall, Greg LAcy and Arnold Eaton is an insurance to have a good record. With a bench of Charlie Diadone, Brent Bangerter, Mark Crowley and Harvey Dwayer, this team is very deep

PREDICTION 58-22

NEBRASKA: NEbraska is maybe the best team that has never won a championship. And they try hard. The team is really talented and the have been a very frequent playoff team. Nebraska is a team that should have gone deeper in some seasons, but they always fail in the clutch. They were playing some of the most fantastic players in the league. Wayne TAylor was scoring at will. ROy Base was being the star everybody had predicted in college. THey had young stud Jervan Timmons, threatening to break all records in assists for years to come. BUt they were short. BRandon is known for trying to improve in any moment. And Nebraska decided to part ways with Taylor, when his value was still high. Some reports say that no team will win a championship with Taylor in his roster. Time will say. Nebraska received Tom PErkins and rookie Tony Henderson, a player that could be a gem once he receive some training. The team will play the youngest PG combo of the league. Timmons will start at PG, and while he has to wonder an offensive game, he really loves distributing the ball. Brandon Morfeld is the only shooting guard in the team, so an injury would be a disaster. Tony Henderson will start inmediatelly at small forward Roy BAse and Tom PErkins will be the frontcourt. It will be interesting to see this team playing without the ballhog Taylor is, and how chemistry will be affected. The notion here is that Brandon made what he needed.THe team is not championship caliber, but it will be very competitive while HEnderson adn Timmons are still developing

PREDICTION: 43-37

OMAHA: This team is really the X-Factor in this division. Omaha has never averaged more wins than losses in the last five seasons, but they have been very active this offseason to improve, and they should really do it. First of all, they traded the untreadeable contract of OLiver McCarthy for Chuck Henderson a better player with a better contract. Then in draft day, they got the expected to be rookie of the year, ceter Alexej Peska. PEska is ready to contribute right now, and will probably be the 6th man in this team, and in a pair of seasons he will be ready to take ove Ramiro Watts spot in the starting lineup. Yoshikazy Takarawa was a reach in the lottery, and he will never live up to the hype there was at draft day. Andy Michelson was a steal that late at the first round and could find minutes this season at power forward. Omaha was a non factor in free agency period, and their only signings (roy Houle and Jim Woods) are at the very best bench warmers. Drafting 3 players in the first round, its safe to say that OMaha is in a proccess of going young, and they showed it trading for the very young Vincent MIles, a player still very raw but in two seasons could be a great forward. The PG will be managed by Chuck Henderson, and Luca McMillan will learn all the tricks from him, Brian Colling will try to be the scoring punch of this team, although this is the weaker sopt in the lineup, Bacchi and Verholm will be the forwards, and they'd better pray not to be injured, because theres no a lot of depth after them. Finally Ramiro Watts and Alexej Peska will share the minutes at the center. Here we see a young team with some good talent that could keep on improving for some years.

PREDICTION39-41

SALT LAKE CITY: SLC is a team which has been unusually quiet in the last offseason. It would be a good thing if they were improving, but a team with such a talent not winning has a problem of chemistry. Their only significant move was a trade for center Sean Ashman, a movement that costed them 3 fisrts round picks. Looking at SLC's starting five you see a playoff caliber team. Austyn Williams, Cordell PArks, Brad Bangerter and Sean Ashman would be starters in almost any team in the league. The problem here is that 4 players dont make up for a team, not even adding scoring guard Jalen Bell. The bench is one of the worst in the league, and that together with chemistry issues makes the team to struggle. They could wait this season how the team develops with Ashman in it, but after that, Williams and Bangerter will have peaked and that could be the moment to trade them

PREDICTION: 35-45

ARKANSAS: This team is lost. They got one of the best managed franchises in the league, and tried not to live of their fame. That was a fatal decision. They have made 9 trades so far and what could have been seen as a good start developed in an Isiah Thomas esque. Tim used his cap room to trade for Emmett Yee and Justin Krueger just for some picks, but then they started to trade their picks in some doubtful trades at the best. The noise started when they traded away Davion Sthal, Jack Spiegel and his 1st round pick, for Pat Stephenson and his BIG contract. A bad move for a team which wont win more than 30 games. As a result, Arkansas drafted 3 players in the first round, and none of them seem to deserve to be selected as high. Dan Kincaide is a good all around forward, but Tony Henderson was selected later. Tony Patrickwill be a good backup at the best, and their best adquisition was 2nd round pick Adam Virgil, a PF/C ready to have some minutes. The team will rely in the trio John Greene, Dave Short, PAt Stephenson, they average 30 years and thats not good for a rebuilding team.

PREDICTION: 22-58

January 28th, 2006

Dino CEO To Create A New End Of The Year Award For The Media

By The Swirsk

Toronto Dino CEO and owner James Borbath held a press conference today to announce the creation of a new post season award. It will be for excellence in media coverage of the WBA. Here is what Mr. Borbath had to say.

Borbath: Thank you all for coming now I will not be addressing an issues with the Dinos today just about the announcement I am here to make. That announcement is the creation of the BORBY Award. It will go to the top media member of the WBA each season. It will be voted on by the fans and people throughout the league. I will choose the candidates as it is my award after all. I am not certain if the WBA will acknowledge the award but it will still be given regardless. It is my hope that this award will help expand the coverage of the league and create a new level of excitement that the league has never seen. We as franchises may be angered by you all in the media but as a former member of it I have always seen it as a great partnership we have with you all to promote are teams are league and are game. There will be a cash award that will go along with it as well as a scholarship for the winner to give to any school he will decide on. With that I will take a few questions.

Reporter: Is this not a conflict of interest and the fact the league has not been consulted do you not feel it could cause some anger at the league office?

Borbath: There is no conflict. I was working myself on WBA TV and what not but I have learned that ownership takes a lot of time so have since left it to others to do. The league never asked me if I wanted teams in Las Vegas and Seoul but that's another issue. I came up with the plan for realignment that was approved by the league. I have no ill will towards them I just feel that we need to have a stronger media presence and this is my way of doing it. If the league does not chose to endorse the BORBY as an official award it is there right to do so. But they can not stop me from presenting my own award.

Reporter: Couldn't some people see this as a way to gain positive coverage for your team?

Borbath: What's your name son. You will never win a Borby. I'm just kidding, yes I can see how some might take that line of thinking but this is not about the Toronto Dinos it is about the WBA and getting more coverage for all the fans. In addition not just more coverage but more quality coverage. I assure you I have no secondary motives. I got in this league cause I am passionate about 2 things, Sports Broadcasting and basketball. That is why and the only reason why.

Reporter: So despite conflicts you may have with reporters you think you can remain objective?

Borbath: You all have a job to do and so do I. I get that and if I read things about my team I don't like do I get angry sure. But not at the person who is doing their job. I'd like to thank you all and wish everyone luck in becoming the first annual Borby Award Winner.

So there you have it the Swirsk is getting an award YIPPIE. IT's ABOUT TIME. I am ending this article right away to start working on my acceptance speech. I have a lot of people to thank.

January 28th, 2006

Dino Ceo sits down with Chuck Swirsky

Chuck: The media loved this team last year and now this year trashed it. What's up with that?

James Borbath: Having worked in the media I can understand it. We didn't live up to the media hype last year so now they have pulled a 180 on us as an organization. I'm ok with it. I'd rather be the underdog that people have no expectations of. But teams that don't respect this team will pay for it.

Chuck: Walt Jackson however is the one thing about this team everyone seems to love though. In fact many feel this team will go as far as he takes them true or faulse and why?

James Borbath: I think you could say that about many franchises. He is the best talent in are organization. I have made no secret that this is the player this team has been built around. He is a great reason to why we win basketball games. But to say he is the only reason would be a mistake and I think he would be the first one to agree with me. Hill as are big man was brought in here to help Walt as were guys like Remi Jeay. Now we have added a pass first point guard in Saks. Harry Krramer is back to help us defend. Abdullah Chanada will help with Walt on the floor and sometimes without him. Issiac Rice when health gives us an incredible 1 2 scoring punch that can rivial any in this league. Every year I have ran this franchise it has improved. That is not some sort off accident.

Chuck: Many people say Rice is a flat out bust that he's hurt more than he's healthy and when he's in the line up he's greedy and not a team player. Your comments?

James Borbath: I'd be a greedy player in Alaska too. I mean this isn't Alaska we plan on making the playoffs. It's true that Rice is not a guy you can expect to play the entire schedule and we know and expect that. We have many guys that can play his spot should he not be able. If he helps us win 10 to 15 games than he's worth having. Walt Jackson is able to win games without help on some nights as well so those to players individually can steal you like 20 or 30 wins. Than it's a matter of getting 20 more with team play and you have a 40 to 50 win team.

Chuck: you missed the playoffs because of a tie breaker with Boston last year is it safe to say it's playoffs or bust this season?

James Borbath: Yes, I'm not going run and hide from it we expect to be a playoff team. I'll go one step further I demand to be a playoff team. Everyone in this organization must live up to that even you and I Chuck. I expect everyone from top to bottom to demand the best they have in themselves to make us a winner. Every night. No exceptions.

Chuck: Wow wow wow now that's bold. Do you think that's to much pressure I mean this team is still young.

James Borbath: To quote John Cena "The Time is now'. 2 years of hard work and effort has went into turning this organization around. Making them into winners. Getting them to a place that deserves a winner like Toronto. I mean the hockey team is this town has been pretending to try and win since 1967. We are different were not putting up an effort just to look like we are trying to win. No we are flat out doing it going all out to get what the fans deserve. This is a step in that process and once we get to the playoffs we have no intention on leaving for years to come.

Chuck: Yes I can see your passion but this new divison you find your self in is tough top to bottom.

James Borbath: We demanded to be where we are. Sure we could have gone in a cream puff divison and maybe even win it like Charlotte will. But will they or should they be respected for winning it? In the Northeast every win you get you earn and we like it like that. I love the challenge of the divison we call home. Truth be told we match up well against all these teams and have had night where we have beaten everyone of them. We open with Rochester an New York and we see that as a way to send a message that we can and will compete in this divison.

Chuck: Any Final thoughts

James Borbath: I just want all the fans to know that the reason we all bust are tails everyday is for them. We hope to reward them with a playoff team this season. Thanks Chuck. I like you better than Ross. I should call him and ask him how he likes covering that loser hockey team.

Chuck: No thank you for taking the time and with that get out the salami and cheese mama this interview is OVER. Til next time this is the Swirsk saying I love My DINO BASKETBALL.

January 28th, 2006

What's Wrong With Long Island?

It was though that when this organization moved to Long Island and won a Division Title it had lost the tag of lovable loser. But year two has seen major changes and little success. Have the ghosts of Montana come back to haunt this Franchise?

Esposito was last year was a popular choice and won the coveted GM of the Year Award. This was the high point in a career of controversy. In article a couple of seasons ago it was though that he may have a split personality disorder. For a refresher it was Titled a Letter to the League. Here is the link to the WBA Article on GSPN

:http://wba.rondall-reynoso.com/id412.htm

There is proof that Espo (as he is called by most around the league) is well let's just say strange. There is a picture of him dressed like a girl floating around the Internet but that image was to disturbing and distracting for this article. But has success gone to his head and turned him back into a trading maniac? Well the WBA has a strict 10 trade policy(most GM's Refer to it as The Espo Rule) and Long Island at only Day 5 of the season has no trades left? the new rule of free agent signings not being able to be trade tail day 26 or the trading deadline seem to have had no effect on Long Island. Other GM's have held back waiting for these dates but the next Long Island trade will be next off season. Starting off 1-4 and no way to change the path even if they want too.

We spoke with several league sources and some were happy to put their name to the words. One such individual was Kevin Harper the man that has lead Oregon to 2 straight titles. He thinks that this is too early to worry. Here is his take on it, "People are blowing it out of proportion, in my opinion. Look at Nebraska, they are still winless, yet we all know they are a playoff team. In Long Island's situation, they're just in that period of knowing each others playing styles. Don't worry..they're still a title contender."

If anyone should be worried it is Long Island who have went from first to currently worst in the new northeast division. New York has been the good surprise story not unlike Long Island was last year. Even Toronto that struggle out of the gate as turned around getting a big win over previously unbeaten Charlotte. Brooklyn is off to an expected strong start and Rochester sits a game above .500. Yes things are very early but in what many experts upon seeing the new realignment called this the toughest division, you have to wonder if this bad start will cost them down the line. One of the many teams that cashed in on the Long Island tradefest was former division rival Boston.

The Bostonians could not be happier as they acquired 3 former Long Island assets through trades. In a rather selfish and self serving comment here is what Boston Management had to say on the issue at hand,''Nothing's wrong, his guys are doing great...at Boston...Dawson, Lang and Faup.''

It has long been said that Long Island as a franchise has lacked patience and as result makes trades which makes team chemistry near impossible. A Western Conference GM that preferred to not be named hat this to say on that issue, ''There seems to be too much inconsistency in Long Island. But they will turn things around, count on that. Just don't count on it lasting.''

Budapest Management went a step further having this to say,"he(espo) had a nice team last year but he could not keep himself out of the trades.he basically ruined the team chemistry with trading.''

Wayne Taylor was one of the big names that were brought in to the fold. He already has missed time with injury. He was a longtime star in Nebraska. One of his former teammates made a shocking suggestion as to why Taylor may be struggling. ''When I played with Wayne it always seemed like he was hiding something. We confronted him about it and he came clean. I think some of the Long Island guys probably have the same suspicions. It is time Wayne comes out of the closet and just tells the whole league.''

Well for now that closet is in the basement and that all I will say on that. But Let's Take a look at some hard facts. They say numbers don't lie so let's take a look:

Points For AVG:

109.9 -Last Season

Currently-97.4

Difference:-12.5

Points Agst Avg:

99.3-Last Season

Currently-97.2

Difference +2.1

Margin

+10.6-Last Season

Currently-+0.2

Difference -10.4

FG%

46.7%-Last Season

Currently-43.2%

Difference -3.5%

Def FG%

46.2%-Last Season

Currently-45.9%

Difference +0.3

3 PT%

26.9%-Last Season

Currently-25.8%

Difference -1.1%

ASSTS PER GAME

31.0-Last Season

Currently-25.8

Difference-5.2

REBS PER GAME

45.1-Last Season

Currently-44.4

Difference--0.7

BLKS PER GAME

8.2-Last Season

Currently-6.4

Difference- -1.8

STLS PER GAME

9.0-Last Season

Currently-6.2

Difference- -2.8

Turnovers

9.0-Last Season

Currently 14.0

Difference -5.0

Individual Leaders- Last Season

Pts: Oilver Doherty 21.4

Rebs Sheldon Gorman 9.1

Asts Paul Carroll 9.7

FG% Tom Perkins 54.1%

3Pt% Brenden Dawson 30.6%

BLKS Pat Stepehson 2.6

STLS Oliver Doherty 2.2

Individual Leaders- This Season

Pts: Wayne Taylor 18.7

Rebs Jim McCarthy 10.8

Asts Oliver Doherty 5.4

FG% Oilver McCarthy 62.5%

3Pt% 2 players 50%

BLKS Sheldon Gorman 2.2

STLS Oliver Doherty 1.4

When you break down the numbers this team has not improved overall by any means, If your a glass half full type person, than you can say that rebounding and defense having improved in a minor way but the glaring rise in turnovers and lack of scoring will make even the biggest Long Island fan sit up and take notice. Is this article just a lot of panic over nothing?

Maybe but in any case most seem to agree that Long Island lacks chemistry and needs to fine it's way. In just 5 games already 4 loses while last year this team only had 18 loses over the entire schedule But good bad or indifferent the car is stuck in the fast lane with no route to escape. Is the car on the path to the playoffs?

Or the highway to hell!!! Time will hold the answer. But one thing is certain the patient man that guided his team to regular season success is now back to the wheeling dealing wild man. This may lead to the pain that was felt in Montana. I was told that Montana had put a curse on the team but being as it was Montana it took them a little while to excute.Next Week will talk about the age old debate East West who's the baddest conference of them all???

January 28th, 2006

WBA Game of the Week

Day 7

Toronto @ Boston

Hello everyone this is a fictional reporter with no relation to actual reporters reporting. This week we could have chosen Cancun versus Oregon--a rematch of last season's Western Conference Finals as the game of the week. However, these two owners are so gentlemanly that us reporters are left with nothing to write about except the player matchups (snoooze...). So to cater to you--the masses of fans who favor a rich story line over boring analysis--we have chosen the sizzling rivalry between James Borbath and his Toronto Dinos and Pablo del Pino and his Boston Massacre as the game of the week!

I managed to find Pablo at DJ Adrian Arceo's recent album release party and I had the chance to ask him about the history between these two teams.

Reporter: There seems to be a lot of history between your two clubs. Can you tell me about it?

Pablo: Yes I won 4-0 last season. Last year Boston and Toronto tied in the standings for the 8th seed and both teams lost on day 84. Boston dramatically went on to the playoffs due to their 4-0 sweep in the season.

Reporter: Do you feel your use of the broom resulted in any bad blood between your teams?

Pablo: Yes because he spent days talking trash about my team in preseason because of my old guys, and according to him they were young and fresh, he also made fun of me because of our Ajani for Juarez trade. Nowadays Ajani is a solid promising player for Boston and Juarez is on Budapest days after Borby gave him a reward.

So there is the history. Apparently Boston held the edge over Toronto and managed to sneak into the playoffs over the Dinos due to this domination. But with all the changes that these two teams have gone through I wanted to check with Mr. Borbath about what he thought of the whole situation. I traveled to a recent owners meeting to get this information but I was beat to the punch when I witnessed Mr. Borbath go up to Pablo and make some sly remarks. Luckily I had my tape recorder at hand and managed to record this exchange.

Borbath: You think Walt will beat Kobe's 81 at Boston?

[I could not affirm who Kobe is; apparently a Japanese dish]

Pablo: I'm still wondering how Brooklyn did today.

[Boston had whooped Brooklyn 120-109 earlier in the day]

Borbath: They blew it to inferior talent they were spent after playing Toronto.

[Brooklyn had scored 119 points in a win against Toronto the day before]

Borbath: No wonder you're winning we are wearing down your opposition.

Pablo: Toronto will kneel to the hottest college-like team in WBA history, destination: Season 15 championship.

Borbath: Walt will average 40 a game by then.

Pablo: Walt will randomly fall apart tomorrow, probably his knee...

Borbath: You hope.

Pablo: Walt Jackson shaves his legs.

Pablo: Walt Jackson walks Borby's dog.

Pablo: Walt Jackson is dating Borby's son.

Pablo: Walt Jackson's idol is Umberto Ditullio.

Borbath: Walt 'ROY' Jackson will be M.V.P.

[It is interesting to note that Borbath did not deny the comments on Jackson]

Pablo: He is the son of the typo, he will be banned from GSPN news.

[A stab at Borbath's spelling; ouch!]

Pablo: You made a mistake by signing Hill for that amount, you beat my minimum bid.

[Referring to Simeon Hill 8.4 Million for 7 years]

Borbath: Nah once he can shoot he'll be fine.

Borbath: For now I'll take the 14 rebounds 5 blocks.

Pablo: On a team with no rebounders he is the king plus your shooting sucks so much that 14 rebounds is not remarkable.

Borbath: Walt shot 70% from the field.

[Recent victory over Charlotte]

Pablo: Not bad for player carrying 4 rewards.

Borbath: Walt doesn't have 4 rewards.

Borbath: Not even possible its his 3rd yr.

Pablo: Rondy's return key got stuck while running the program on his commodore.

Borbath: File a protest when he gets 40 at Boston.

Borbath: He's going for 90 vs. Arkansas.

Borbath: 100 at Alaska.

Pablo: No, your other players can't score in negative.

Borbath: My bench is fine we have 4 guys in double figures.

Borbath: Durden and chanada complement Walt nicely.

Pablo: Chanada? [A Freudian slip?]

Borbath: Just admit Walt 'ROY' Jackson is your hero.

[Walt Jackson enters room out of nowhere]

Walt says this: "Boston is good despite its management not having a clue. I mean let's get real here they can't stop me. They are foolish to think they can. I know all about the mess that organization is. Ajani calls me and tells me he wants to get traded out of that freak show.

Borbath: Massacre is a good name for what i'm gonna do to that team.

[Tyriq Lang enters room]

Tyriq "The Warrior" says this: "I'll demolish Hill's face, he is a mediocre player who got overpaid by a someone called James 'strippers love me when I have money' Borbath"

Borbath: Go tell all the Boston fans that Walt `ROY' Jackson is coming to town.

Borbath: Faup the flop is your top scorer that's funny.

Pablo: We are a team, no stars here.

Borbath: Anyway you got till Monday than Walt Jackson brings the pain to Boston.

------------------------------------------

Wow what an exchange! I was able to catch up to Mr. Borbath later on to ask him about the season and this much anticipated game.

Reporter: So how is the season going so far?

Borbath: I admit I was pretty dismayed by our start but seems like we have it rolling now.

Reporter: Do you think you will win your much-hyped game with Boston?

Borbath: Yeah I hope so we played terrible against them last year, that's why we missed the playoffs. Who knows NY blew my doors off but I don't think Pablo can coach that well [Ouch!]. Well that was than this is now. Who's going stop Walt 'ROY' Jackson on that team? Faup the flop? If they think Paris beat them down in the playoffs that will look like a local pick up game in comparison to the professional beat down they get.

I was also able to get some comments from Walt Jackson.

Reporter: How do you feel about the upcoming game?

Walt: They better call Larry Bird in Indiana McHale in Minnesota and ask Bush for any troops not in Iraq cause they will need it all to stop me.

Well no one ever accused Walt of being humble. Ladies and Gentlemen you may have to cover your kids eyes to watch this one because it looks like it is going to get ugly!

Notes:

*Although the two seem to be at odds one cannot forget that two seasons ago when asked to name his favorite team in the WBA other than his own, Pablo answered with the then Roswell Dinos.

*Rumors are also circulating that FOX Television © has offered James Borbath and Pablo del Pino $15,000 to settle their differences in a celebrity boxing match.

January 25th, 2006

Seoul Searching

No sellout accompanied Seoul's 94-90 loss to Budapest, but the excitement

from the previous night's opener had carried over throughout all of South

Korea. Despite the 91-84 loss to their expansion rivals, the Las Vegas

Gamblers, the sellout crowd was behind the Dragons effort from start to

finish and gave the hometown team a "thumbs up" despite the loss.

"They played aggressive basketball, and you could tell that the Gamblers

were afraid of them," local businessman and courtside season ticketholder

Gun Yeon Mo said. "The Dragons were called for a lot of fouls, but they shot

better and were incredibly tough on the boards against Vegas."

"It's about time I got to see some real basketball again," Sergeant Grover

Hollister, an American stationed in Korea for ten years, said. "Armstrong,

Harris, and Yamaha are the future of the WBA, and I got to see their pro

debut. It's a real kick."

Bill Cash, head coach of the Dragons, was pleased overall with the first two

games, despite the slow start. "We're feeling things out, learning from our

mistakes, and experimenting with a few changes to the lineup trying to find

the best way to get the results we're hoping for. Michael Huryta was a nice

surprise in the opener, and should be seeing more minutes per game now.

Brian Armstrong is showing some great instincts on the court, and Bo Hruska

is learning how to be an effective passer and a smart point guard. The more

he learns from men like John Gaiser, the faster this franchise is going to

turn heads."

"I'm loving it," point guard John Gaiser said, speaking to the press on

Tuesday prior to the game. "It's a great feeling being able to be part of

history in the making. I don't mind not being part of every second of every

game as long as I know that the guys on that bench and on the court are

giving one hundred percent every time they're out there."

Even if the team's not winning?

"Everyone wants to have that first win under their belts. You're torn

between wanting to give the home crowd that thrill, and giving them a reason

to cheer even when we're not around. This group keeps playing hard, and

it'll come. It really is a major thrill to be part of this team."

And so, set to play their next home game against Cincinnatti, the anxious

eyes of Seoul's newfound faithful look at each game as a potential

first...with the hopes that day will arrive soon.

SEOUL NOTES:

- Bill Blackstone and Webster Hewlett, former teammates in Toronto, were

reunited for Charlotte's win against Long Island. Blackstone, moved in the

acquisition of Eugene LaMaitre following game one, wished the fans of Seoul

the best of luck for this season, and said there was no ill will in being

moved.

- The rumors that Odibe King would soon be sent to Cancun as part of a deal

for Chad O'Donnell are thus far unfounded. Ken Haller.com had reported that

T.D. Swagger was negotiating a deal with the Dragons acquiring O'Donnell and

Paul Carroll in exchange for King and John Gaiser. "Conjecture is a lot of

fun when it's put in perspective. With the right math, the right mind could

match us up with any team in the league, for any combo and any player. I

like Chad's skill, and Paul is an incredible talent, but the first I heard

of this deal was when you reporters asked me about it."

- John Gaiser and Charlie Jones were suited up for Tuesday night's loss

against Budapest but did not play due to their appearance earlier in the day

at the "100 Won Miracle" charity basketball game. The charity, founded by

Lee Hyo-Li, featured both athletes and celebrities, and earned over ninety

million won in donations-a sum matched by SM Town Entertainment and the

Seoul Dragons, to bring the sum total to just under $300,000 American. Coach

Bill Cash permitted them to miss the pre-game practice in Budapest for the

sake of catching a later flight and promised them rest unless extreme

circumstances necessitated their inclusion. Despite a close game, Cash was

good to his word.

January 23rd, 2006

Spencer's Answers

By: Joe Spencer

Welcome to my new column, Spencer's Answers, where I answer some of the big questions facing the WBA. Now with the preseason officially over, I'm going to answer a question pertaining to each division in time for the regular season:

Midwest Division

Both Colorado and Nebraska have made big trades this past off-season. Which team has the advantage this year?

Colorado and Nebraska have been battling each other for position in the standings for many seasons. Now with Oregon gone to the Pacific Division, we're going to see these two teams battle for the Midwest Division crown this year.

Both teams were involved in significant trades this off-season:

Colorado shipped Samir Sheth to Sacramento and received Jaxon McCall and Harry Dwyer, while Nebraska sent Wayne Taylor to Long Island in exchange for Tom Perkins, Tony Henderson, and a future first round pick.

I personally don't agree with Colorado's trade. Samir Sheth literally could change a game with his ability to draw fouls and get to the line. Jaxon McCall is a big scorer, but is he game-changer, like Sheth? I don't think so. Also, the fact that McCall is 3 years older than Sheth isn't exactly appealing to me.

As for Nebraska trading Wayne Taylor, they must have decided that if they can't win with him, maybe they can win without. For what they got, Tom Perkins is a solid, but not superstar caliber player, and Tony Henderson is a project who can develop, other time, into another major scorer. Overall, I think Nebraska is better with this trade, as Roy Base and Brandon Morfeld have been able to pick up the scoring without Taylor around, and Tony Henderson gives Nebraska a young project who is likely to become a star in the very near future.

Now overall, I see Nebraska winning the Midwest Division with about the same record they had last year 52-28. They will not win it because of trading Wayne Taylor, obviously, because it will take a few years to see the full effects from that trade. The reason I pick Nebraska is because I believe they have more stability in their lineup, especially at PG, where Jervan Timmons is the main guy running the offense, while Colorado has to rely on multiple players such as Brent Bangerter and Mark Carr for the same task. No matter what happens though, Colorado and Nebraska still are a ways away from being major contenders in the Western Conference.

Pacific Division

Is Oregon going to establish themselves as a Cancunesque dynasty by winning their third consecutive championship?

Probably not. Oregon has huge talent base, with Bishop Stein, Lou Gonzales and Marquez Houston as a dominating trio, along with the consistency of Donavan Jones. Oregon has the potential to beat anyone anytime with these four players. The weakness, albeit a small one, with this team may be their lack of depth. Joe Clark is the only real backup worth bragging about on this team, as I consider Boom-Boom Casey to be to far beyond his prime to be much of a significant factor. An injury to one of the team's starters, as a result, could hurt. And there is inexperience with the point guards with Ian Tilmon, a rookie, starting. I believe these flaws will be exposed during the post-season, and they may end up being shocked by a team such as Capetown or Brooklyn.

World Division

Is Cancun still the team to beat?

No. Cancun still has a solid team, but I know as a matter of fact that Capetown is going to for once overtake their biggest rival in the standings to win their division. Why is that?

Kent Mercer is still a top forward in this league at age 30, but Parker Mason, while still big-time player, is getting older, and is no longer the perennial MVP candidate he once was. With the loss of a key player of the trio that helped win Cancun three championship in Scott Nicholson to Alaska, Cancun has to have players such as Reed Moses and Roy Cader step up their games. I think these players will, but how much? Overall, Cancun should still be as good of a team, although not improved, as last season.

However in the meantime, Capetown has a new fearsome trio for the WBA to worry about: Mabruke, Gordon, and Bombata. Abdiel Gordon is quickly becoming one the league's biggest superstars. Every game, we see him putting up big points and in addition to solid rebounds. His sudden emergence means that the pressure won't be on Capetown's franchise player for the past several years, Obafemi Mabruke, to carry the team anymore. Also, recently acquired center Oshodi Bombata has found a great stroke, and is capable of being a big scorer as well, making the loss of Bill Yeager forgettable for this team. As for the guards, Eric Manning and Dexter Kodak are still solid veterans who can run the floor, and George Bisset has shown great signs of improving during this preseason. The fact that Capetown seems to have improved, while Cancun has remained stagnant this past off-season, is why I pick Capetown to win the World Division.

Atlantic Division

Who will win the Atlantic Division?

The Atlantic Division has appeared to be a division of mediocrity, with no team showing signs of being among the elite teams of the league. The consensus appears that Charlotte should win their division because of their coach Sam Plummer. However I disagree.

Miami will win the Atlantic Division with around 40-45 wins. Miami might not have the flashiest team, but they have the best talent of any team in their division. Consider their starting lineup of, Isaac Edmondson, Dave Troychak, Darryl Whittaker, Oman Fatafehi, and Bill Yeager. Dave Troychak had a tremendous year last season, scoring 26.9 points per game, and is the team's biggest scoring threat. Oman Fatafehi is a solid player who is a great shooter, and will give his team at least 15 points and 9 rebounds per game. The addition of Bill Yeager gives the team another offensive weapon, with his great shooting ability, although throughout the years his rebounding and defensive abilities have declined. And whether Daryl Whittaker or Gus Rizzolo start at SF, they have been giving their team quality minutes so far this preseason. The only question mark with this team is with Isaac Edmondson. He's a top passer, but his inability to shoot may cause some problems. However, I think Edmondson will do fine if his supporting cast plays to their abilities.

My problem with Charlotte is that they're not yet ready to take the next step in this league. Their star player, Eugene LaMaitre will still put up big points, but what about the rest of the team? I do agree that Kadeem Reed is a great PG to build a team around, but the rest of the team has yet to establish themselves. At SG we have Maury Coleman, who has yet to prove himself as a WBA player, and at PF we have Toby McCree, who before, was a career backup for Long Island. Paul Spagnoli should have a breakout year, but is he as much of a threat as Oman Fatafehi or Bill Yeager is on Miami? That's why I'm sticking with Miami to win the division this season, although I do expect it to be decided by only 5 games or less.

The other teams in this division, Baltimore, Cincinnati, and Boston, should all have decent seasons as well, but I don't expect them to be in the running for the division as of yet until future seasons, once their younger players gain more experience.

Northeast Division

Is Brooklyn for real?

Yes. The Brooklyn team has managed to create a five man lineup in Omar Jefferson, Mario Bailey, Shane Strom, Jarius Miles, and Al Herbert, in which everyone is an all-star caliber player. With Jefferson, Bailey and Strom averaging over 23 points per game in the preseason, and Al Herbert and Paul Wilson grabbing over 10 rebounds per game, this team is scary. Some may say it's only the preseason, but I believe their success will follow through in the regular season. The question marks often brought up regarding Brooklyn are in terms of fouls and turnovers, especially with their starting PF in Jarius Miles. The only thing I see preventing Brooklyn from reaching the finals is if their players cannot control their fouls, as they obviously can't afford seeing Strom or Miles fouling out early in a game.

Euro Division

Will Paris be unchallenged again this season for the Division race?

Yes. Paris is still the team to beat in the Euro division. Albacete is still going to be a .500 team, and Andorra is in a semi-rebuilding mode, and shouldn't be a threat, along with Frankfurt and London. Whether or not they have a chance to represent the Eastern Conference again in the WBA finals will depend on how well Jim McCarthy performs, considering the MVP in Heiko Van Brandt was traded for him. This year will be more difficult as Paris will probably have difficultly matching up to an improved Brooklyn team, a team that I favor to make it to the championship from the East this season.

January 18th, 2006

WBA Icon Takes New Role

Former mega-star center Boom-Boom Casey stood at a crossroads when last season came to an end. It seemed the prior couple seasons he was not in an atmosphere that a player of his talent and experience deserved to be. With an ending contract, and somewhat of a fresh start waiting for him, he had a lot of thinking to do. Go with the money, or to a contender? Well. It seems he fell in a perfect situation when he was offered a fat two year deal from the reigning back-to-back champs in Oregon.

There was just one catch. Casey would have to take on an entire new role as a sixth man. But, seeing as how he would combine to form the most accomplished duo of centers in the league’s 12 season history, the choice was easy. Soon after the signing was made public, Casey was quoted saying “There couldn’t be a better situation for me. I missed the feeling of winning and coming off the bench is a conciliation I’m more than willing to make. It will be fun playing with Lou and the rest of the guys here. I’m pretty anxious to suit up”. When approached after an off-season workout with some of the teams new rookies, Bishop Stein told reporters that “having a player like Boom-Boom is really going to make a positive impact both on-court and in the locker room. He’s really just a great guy”. Also finishing up a practice session were new comers Ian Tilmon and Dirk Kuefer. When asked what they thought it would be like playing alongside Casey they had similar words to say. “Well I was just in grade school when Boom-Boom Casey became a huge star. Ever since then he’s been a class act and someone I’ve admired” stated Tilmon. Keufer soon after said “This is a young center’s dream. I know I’ll be lucky as heck to see the floor much at all this season, but just being able to learn from the two best centers is worth the wait. I feel I’ve already improved quite a bit from just the few workouts I’ve had with Donovan Jones and Lou Gonzales. I can’t wait for Boom-Boom to get here”.

On a side note, Oregon enters the season once again as defending champs. A few key additions have been made however. A whole new supporting cast is in to compliment a returning starting five. As mentioned above, Casey highlights the incoming class of free agents. Also Quintin Pitt was brought in to provide some depth at the wing. Joe Clark, a former fan favorite, as well as an infamous rebounder, will be a great asset to the team. Rookie C Dirk Kuefer was also a steal, after Nebraska opted on not signing him after selecting him in the draft. He will fight for whatever minutes he can get in a crowded frontcourt. Finally, with who may be the surprise of the rookie class, Ian Tilmon. Tilmon went undrafted and arrives in Oregon as a dark horse to win the starting PG job. Rumors have it that last year’s starter Cole Bayo has been learning some aspects of the SG position. We can only speculate that he might be part of a guard rotation of some sort, with Bayo backing up both guard spots. This only proves that the organization has high hopes on Tilmon, who experts admit has tons of potential, only really needing to develop his defensive game

January 18th, 2006

WBA Preview

by JP Benedict

WESTERN CONFERENCE

MIDWEST

1. Colorado(3)-As it has been for many years in the WBA, Colorado and Nebraska will be battling for the top spot in a division. Although, I think this is the weakest the two have been collectively in quite some time, but they're both still very good nonetheless. Colorado is led by Jaxon McCall, Greg Lacy, and sophomore sensation Mark Carr. As talented as this team is, I get the feeling that they're still missing something. They don't quite have enough to be considered among the league's elite. It could be perhaps that their bench is not very strong. This is a second round playoff team at best.

2. Nebraska(6)-In the off-season, Brandon Morfeld decided to part ways with Wayne Taylor who was the face of this franchise for many years. It became apparent that Taylor, though a gifted player, just simply could not get this team to the next level. This is a team that has flirted with being great, but ultimately has never been able to get back to the Finals like they did back in Season 1 when they were in Fernie. Morfeld decided to take matters in his own hands and decided to suit up and play. After training really hard, Morfeld is actually looking like the real deal. If you throw him in the mix with Roy Base and Tom Perkins, who was acquired for Taylor, you have a pretty solid trio. Former #1 pick, Jervan Timmons, has another year under his belt and will only get better. This team could still win the division, but much like Colorado, this is a second round playoff team at best.

3. Omaha(8)-This is one of the most intriguing teams heading into the new season. They have a pretty nice starting 5, but not much after that. They are an excellent free throw and three point shooting team which never hurts. They have a nice set of centers in Watts and Peska. They added the trusty veteran Chuck Henderson. Brian Collins is a valuable shooting guard. The problem with Omaha is that they have teased us in the past. Just when you think they are finally a playoff team, they end up missing out. They seem to have been stuck in that mode for a long time now. With that being said, I do think that this is the best team they have ever had since Kelley Avery took over. I think they will be a .500 team at best, but will still make the playoffs as probably the 8th seed. I can see them possibly winning a game in the first round if they're lucky, but not more than that.

4. Salt Lake-This is a franchise that is similar to Omaha. They are always a team that you think might get into the playoffs on a consistent basis, but just end up missing out. They have been stuck in mediocrity for the entire existence of this franchise. This team is led by, none other than, Brad Bangerter, both in the front office and on the court. They have one of the top defenders in Cordell Parks, and they were able to acquire center, Sean Ashman. They also have some nice guards who can shoot and score in Austyn Williams and Jalen Bell. Here's the problem with this team, however. They can't rebound. If they had better rebounding guards, this would be such a better team. In today's WBA, having guards who can rebound is vital to a team's success. It is for this reason alone that I pick them to miss the playoffs. It will be close though. They could still beat out Omaha for that last spot.

5. Arkansas-It's probably best that I don't comment.

PACIFIC

1. Oregon(1)-I have to give them respect since they are the defending champs. Lou Gonzales, Bishop Stein, Donavan Jones, and Marquez Houston are as good of a quartet as you'll find. Here's the problem. I said quartet. They don't quite have that other guard to complement Bishop Stein. This is the only thing that could prevent them from winning another championship. They will easily win this division and perhaps by as many as 20 games. They should also win the #1 seed, but due to the fact they don't have a complementary guard, they might settle for #2. Nonetheless, I still think this is the best team in the WBA and anything less than another championship would be a failure for this franchise. On a side note, it will be interesting to see how Kevin Harper deals with Lou now that he is starting to get up there in age.

2. Sacramento(7)-This is a talented team, but also a cursed team. Their big acquisition in the off-season, Samir Sheth, suffered a setback when he got injured early in the preseason. This will cost him about a third of the season. Despite the injury, this team should still be in the playoffs. There are some great defenders on this squad like John Van Horne, Bobby Egan, and Edgar Kamara. Expect to see this team struggle though without Sheth in the lineup. When he comes back, they should start getting on a roll. Since he is out for so long, they are probably a #7 seed at best, which probably means a first round exit in the playoffs. I will say this. If they can just acquire that missing piece, they can be a dangerous team in the future. Although, I think I've been saying that for years.

3. Seoul-Andre Dec is a great addition to this league. Every so often, this league gets a new owner and you can instantly tell they're going to be a winner. Andre Dec is one of those owners. I really believe he did as good a job as you can do being an expansion owner. With that being said, it's still going to be a long year. They have some quality veterans like Bill Blackstone, Joe Siebert, and John Gaiser, but they still don't have enough firepower, which is no fault of Andre's. Just by looking at his roster, you can tell Andre has done his homework and knows what a team needs to be competitive. Even though they won't sniff the playoffs this year, I think Andre will head this team in the right direction and will make a run at the playoffs next season. Welcome, Andre!

4. Alaska-Read Arkansas' preview.

5. Las Vegas-Our good old friend, Steven Goodstadt, tried to pull what Marc Hameleers and Sam Plummer did last season by making a comeback. Unfortunately for Steven, he doesn't have the track record they have. Drafting Mark Miller who has a no trade clause and a hefty contract was a big mistake. Marty Williams, George Lush, and Evelio Jackson will make some nice contributions this season, but we can't expect much from this group, understandably so. I am just wondering if we will see the Goodstadt who did a poor job for most of his years in New York or the Goodstadt who showed flashes of being a decent owner. If I'm honest, I pick the former especially since he is starting off with an expansion team.

WORLD

1. Cancun(2)-For the first time ever, Pat was forced to trade away one of the key contributors to his team's success since becoming an elite team. This meant that long time player, Scott Nicholson, had to be shipped to the WBA's version of purgatory, Alaska. Some outsiders may say that Cancun might be a little bit weaker this year because of the loss, but I'd say they got better. Cancun has been grooming Reed Moses as the center of the future for a couple years now, and he is more than ready to step in. Throw in Kent Mercer, Parker Mason, and Ahmed Dougherty, and you have a very formidable quartet, much like Oregon. However, Cancun also has Lonnie Gerson who is as reliable as they come. If there is a team in the West who can overthrow Oregon, this is it. Pat is arguably the best general manager in the league. Although, they might have difficulty re-signing Ahmed Dougherty after the season, which would be a huge blow. They were able to acquire Paul Carroll as insurance, and though he is a solid SG, he's still not at the same level as Dougherty.

2. Capetown(4)-This is a very dangerous team. This is probably the only other team other than Oregon and Cancun that would represent the West in the finals. I believe that Capetown has the best frontcourt in the WBA in Bombata, Gordon, and Mabruke. They even have a nice backcourt in Manning, Bissett, and Kodak. The thing that could come back and hurt this team is turnovers. Everyone knows that defense wins championships. The problem is that if they face Oregon or Cancun in the playoffs, these teams will take advantage of their weakness. That is really the only thing that separates Capetown from the other two. They are still a very dangerous team and I wouldn't want to face this team in the playoffs. I can't say enough about Adrian and the job he has done since taking over for this, once, dreadful franchise.

3. Budapest(5)-This is one of those teams that thrives when people don't pay any attention to them. Unfortunately, once people start taking notice, they start to play below what they're capable of. It's the same thing every year. You look at their roster and think they're just okay. Then they start winning in convincing fashion. Then they get praise from people around the league. And then, they lose. Why? Quick, name a starter on their team. Ummmmm, I can't think of one. This team is made up of players who play 24 minutes each. Once the starters play the first half, the backups play the second half. They're all equal in talent and no one stands above the rest. At some point, they need to get a player or two who plays 40 minutes at an all-star level. This is the only way they get to the next level. They did sign Bobby Cress in the off-season, who is now the closest they've got to being an all-star. I still don't think it's enough to get them passed the second round of the playoffs.

4. Mexico City-I actually kind of like this team. Sergio Gutierrez has quietly put a nice team together. This is probably my sleeper team. I wouldn't be shocked if they grabbed the 8th seed and snuck in the playoffs. George Holt, Jack Berger, and Angel Rojas give this team a nice frontcourt. George Foster, Pete Merritt, and Dondrell Palmer will make some contributions in the backcourt. I think the thing that will keep them from making the playoffs though is their lack of depth. Perhaps by a trade during the season, this team could have enough firepower to make it to the playoffs. This team isn't far off though. I think they could be in the playoffs next season with the right additions.

5. Gabon-This is a team that has slowly deteriorated these last few seasons. Back in the day, they had the “Rookie All-Stars.” As they aged and declined in talent, so did this team. Simon tried to ride that core for a long time, but it has caught up with him. Jerry Bramson is the only one of the Rookie All-Stars who is worth talking about. Hameleers is in danger of being out of the league, and the others have since departed. There best player outside of Bramson is center, John Devine. Go figure, the thing that kept Gabon from being a championship contender all of those years was their gaping hole at center. Now that they have a center, they don't have the other pieces. I get the feeling that this team won't see the playoffs anytime in the near future.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

NORTHEAST

1. Brooklyn(1)-This should be the first time in a few seasons where Brooklyn can set their sights on trying to win the championship. They have all the pieces you need to win it all-great starting 5, probably the best depth in the league, great rebounding, and great shooters. There are still, however, 2 problems with this team. First and foremost, they have a horrible history in the playoffs. For as much as you can count on Cancun to at least reach the conference finals or finals, the same can be said with Brooklyn losing in the first or second round. Despite being a dominant and even intimidating team in the regular season, this team is known for being soft in the post-season. Yeah, that's right, SOFT! The second problem with them is turnovers. Three starters-Jarius Miles, Omar Jefferson, and Mario Bailey-are all threats to have double-digit turnover nights. On the flip side, they are also capable of having 50 point scoring nights. Just as I said for Capetown, turnovers can come back to bite you come playoff time since that is when you will find the top defenses. This team is definitely talented to win the East. If they can somehow toughen up and get to the finals, they would still be overmatched if they were paired up against Oregon or Cancun.

2. Rochester(4)-This team reminds me a lot of those great 60+ win Gabon teams we saw. They have a ton of talent and some explosive players, but they have one glaring weakness. They don't have a top center. You cannot win a ring without a center. Period! Half their team is made up of centers, but they're all just a bunch of journeymen who have talent, but won't win you any championships. It's a shame, too, because they have as good a trio as you can find in Dave Williams, AJ Schulz, and the newly acquired Heiko Van Brandt. Jimmy Whalen is also a good ball distributor. I expect this team to make some noise in the regular season and could possibly steal the division from Brooklyn. I wouldn't bet on them to make it to the finals though. Get a center!

3. Long Island(6)-This team has tons of talent. So if you have talent, you're always going to be dangerous. And if you have Wayne Taylor, you're going to be even more dangerous. For as talented as they are, they're still missing something. It just seems to me, for whatever reason, that this team is not going to gel very well. Perhaps too many players will be complaining because of a lack of playing time. Also, their weakest positions are probably at center and point guard. Davion Stahl and Oliver Doherty will split time at PG, and Jack Spiegl and Kurt Beck will split time at center. Jack Spiegl is one of those players who seems to make his team worse, so that is a danger. Regardless, this is still a quality team and could go on a serious playoff run to the finals if Wayne Taylor heats up. Esposito has finally learned a thing or two, but his team could still be better if he made better decisions.

4. Toronto-I think this is one of those teams that has been hyped up way too much. I'm a big fan of Walt Jackson, and Simeon Hill has blossomed into a pretty good center. There's not much more I can say about this team. Isaac Rice, even when healthy, is one of the most overrated players in the league. He's not a very good shooter, he commits a lot of fouls, and turns the ball over. He seems to be one of those players who puts up good scoring numbers because he shoots way too much. This team just doesn't impress me. They're not bad, but they're not good. Because of Jackson and Hill, they could sneak into the playoffs, but I think they'll just miss out. They at least have Jackson and Hill to build around, which makes this team a team to keep an eye on in the future.

5. New York-Season 2 of the Marc Hameleers comeback is almost underway. I would have to say that Marc didn't really do much to improve upon his poor record from last season. His team is better though since Tom Kinsey has returned and appears to be the player Marc will build around. Along with Kinsey, Cristobal Dasher and Jevon Carter give this team a nice trio. If things bounce their way, the 8th spot could be theirs for the taking, but I still think they don't have enough. Marc is one of the best gm's in the league and will have this team get better every year. If not, then his legacy might wear off from his days in Colorado.

ATLANTIC

1. Charlotte(3)-This is, hands down, the top team in this division. It is also perhaps the most underrated team in the league. Some “experts” have predicted a sub-.500 record. Sam Plummer has turned this franchise around a lot quicker than anyone would've ever expected. In the off-season, he got better and younger by making trades alone. Paul Spagnoli, Toby McCree, and Kadeem Reed are all primed to have breakout years after riding the bench on other teams for the last couple of years. Eugene LaMaitre returns again for another season in the WBA. Maury Coleman and Jim Peyton will be the key contributors off the bench. This is still a team that is missing some pieces, but they are very close to having Sam Plummer running a team that is a championship contender once again. Plummer, who has always been a good evaluator of his team entering a season, feels that this could be a 50-win team, which would definitely exceed the expectations of those who feel this isn't even a winning team.

2. Miami(8)-This is the luckiest team in the WBA. In their 10 years as a franchise, they have had only 1 season with a winning record. You might be wondering how they could be lucky if they have had only 1 winning season. Here's how: They have made the playoffs 6 times. Six times!! Seis!! If that's not luck, I don't know what is. Before I get into the bulk of this preview, I will go out and say they will have another losing record this year and make the playoffs for a seventh time. One thing about Brent Bangerter is that he is consistent with this team. At the end of last season, he had his team headed into the off-season with a lot of excitement. This is a team that took the eventual champs to a 5th and deciding game in the first round of the playoffs. To add to the excitement in Miami, Brent added center Bill Yeager. This is the first legit center that Miami has had. If you put him alongside Dave Troychak and Oman Fatafehi, it should be enough to get Miami that 8th spot. In their first 6 playoff appearances, they have yet to win a first round series. If you're Miami, you probably wouldn't mind facing Brooklyn.

3. Cincinnati-Just as Mexico City was my sleeper in the West, this is my sleeper in the East. Joe LoMonaco has quietly made this team one with some talent. There is a nice trio in Craig Bradshaw, Dennis Evans, and Brandon Sandler. Tony Dimateo, Dontae Evans, and Jerry Kumanchik are also expected to make some contributions. So, there is definitely some talent, but still probably not enough to make the playoffs. With another off-season, this team could definitely make a shot at the playoffs next season. It seems like a long time ago when this franchise was one of the top ones in the league with Jim McCarthy and Steve Peterson.

4. Boston-Pablo del Pino has obviously put this team in a rebuilding mode. Unlike a lot of new owners, this rebuilding mode was not done on accident. I think Pablo has a plan and is sticking to it. That shows a sign of a good owner, which only leads me to believe that he has this team headed in the right direction and will be a winner at some point. He has a nice point guard who does a lot of things very well, with the exception of scoring, but that's okay. Tyriq Lang, Brendan Dawson, and Keanan Carrington give Boston fans something to have hope for. They're not going to win a lot of games this year, but that's okay. &